Return of the Dark Avatar
by ratava0
Summary: Neki, a 17 year old waterbender from the southern water tribe. He thinks that he is just going to become an ordinary fisherman, yet unaware of the adventures that await him.
1. chapter 1

_**I remember it as clear day when unalaq and avatar korra invaded the southern water tribe. From that day onward i could never forgive what the avatar did to us and how our chief stude by and did nothing, while the northern water tribe soldiers did whatever they wanted on our land, if i were the avatar i would have stopped unalaq even, if i had to kill him. Evan though the avatar defeat unalaq it does not erase what she did to her own people, well that ends today's journal entry until next. He signs his name Neki and closes the journal that he's been writing in.**_

 _ **"**_ _ **Neki breakfast is ready!" my mother shouted to me.**_

 _ **"**_ _ **Coming mother!" I shouted to her as i put my journal back in my drawer.**_

 _ **I head down stairs as fast as i could to eat my breakfast, that my mother prepared for me and i take a seat at the dinner table as my mother place my plate down in front of me.**_

 _ **"**_ _ **So, are you excited" She asked me.**_

 _ **"**_ _ **For?" I asked her as i took a bite of some my breakfast.**_

 _ **"**_ _ **Don't you remember your new job is today?" She replies back to me.**_

 _ **"**_ _ **Wait, thats today?" I say as i quickly finish my food.**_

 _ **"**_ _ **Well, then i better get going before im late for work." I say as i get up from the table.**_

 _ **"**_ _ **I'll see later mother" I say as i kiss her on the check.**_

 _ **"**_ _ **Wait!" She says to me in a hurry. "Remember be safe out there." She says to me.**_

 _ **"**_ _ **Don't worry i am a waterbender, people will think twice before messing with me" I say with excitement.**_

 _ **She smile at me as a sign reassurance. I shut the door behind me and head to the docks for my first day working as a fishermen. When i get to the dock i see a massive dock with lots of boats**_

 _ **"**_ _ **Wow what a beautiful dock" I say out loud.**_

 _ **"**_ _ **It sure is isn't" a person says to me.**_

 _ **I jump back a bit as a man with a long beard is standing beside me stroking his grey beard, as i look at the man i can see this man is significantly shorter than me..**_

 _ **"**_ _ **Hello my name is Neki. Who are you?" I say as i stick my hand out in front of him. He looks at me up and down as if he is disappointed how i look.**_

 _ **"**_ _ **I know exactly who you are Neki" He says to me as he pushes my hand down. "You are the new fishermen to board my boat." As he says that he pulls out a clipboard. "From what it says here you're a waterbender correct?" He says to me.**_

 _ **"**_ _ **Yes sir!" I shout to him.**_

 _ **"**_ _ **That's good it's always good to have a waterbender as a fishermen to catch more fish." He says to me.**_

 _ **"**_ _ **Um...sir may i ask what your name is since i didn't get?" i say to him nervously.**_

 _ **"**_ _ **Oh, my name is captain tin Lu Xun" He says to me.**_

 _ **"**_ _ **Well, now that we have introductions out of the way let's head to the boat and head out to sea." He says to me.**_

 _ **"**_ _ **You lead the way." I say to him.**_

 _ **As i follow him he leads me to this giant boat, as i look at it i can start to feel like i love this new job of mine.**_

 _ **"**_ _ **What are you doing standing at that piece junk when the real beauty is over is over here" He says as he as gives the boat a kiss.**_

 _ **The moment i see the small beat up boat i start to rethink my career choice.**_

 _ **"**_ _ **Wait we're getting in this boat not that one?" I say as i point at the ship.**_

 _ **"**_ _ **Yep." He says to me. "What are you waiting get in and meet the crew." He says to me as he jumps into the boat.**_

 _ **"**_ _ **Crew!?" I say shockingly. "You didn't say anything about a crew." I say as i enter the boat**_

 _ **As i walk to the deck of the deck i see captain Lu Xun, a somewhat muscular man, a short skinny kid about my age, and a girl with long brown hair. She looks like the most beautiful girl i have ever seen. She looks to be about the same age as me.**_

 _ **"**_ _ **Neki let me introduce you to my children." He says to me."this one right next to me is the oldest out of my sons and his name is Sin Xun and he is a water bender just like you.." He says as he moves to his next son. "Next is my youngest son and his name is Lun Xun and he is not a bender at all." He says as he moves to his daughter " this is my only daughter and her name is Kata Xun and she is also a non bender and she just turn 17 yesterday." He says to me.**_

 _ **"**_ _ **17 thats the same age as me" I say as she blushes at me.**_

 _ **"**_ _ **Well, now that you have meet my children let's head out to sea before it turns night." He says to me. " Lun pull up the anchor out of the water and Neki and Sin get on both sides of the ship and create a wave under the boat to get the boat moving and Kata release the sails" He says to all of us.**_

 _ **"**_ _ **Yes sir!" We all said.**_

 _ **We all steadily do what we are supposed to do. After an hour at sea we stop the ship and release the anchor.**_

 _ **"**_ _ **I think we're are far enough away from the dock now " Lu said to us "Neki and Sin come with me everyone else wait for further orders." He says as he brings us to a barrel. "Sin i need you to teach Neki how to catch fish with his waterbending do you think you can do that?" He says to him.**_

 _ **"**_ _ **Yes sir!" He says back to him.**_

 _ **"**_ _ **Good i be at the top deck, if you need anything" He says to us.**_

 _ **"**_ _ **Well, then Neki let's get to work, but first open up that barrel for me." He says to me. I open the barrel and see him get into a waterbender stance.**_

 _ **"**_ _ **First you must stare at the water and sense the fish inside of the water and then you must pull the water towards you." As he says this a fish begins to come out of the water and he places it into the barrel. "You think you can do that Neki?" He says to me.**_

 _ **"**_ _ **Yeah i can do that." I say as i get into the same waterbending stance as him and as i stare at the fish in the water. I can sense the fish and i try to pull the fish out and end up splashing water in my face. Sin puts his hand on my shoulder.**_

 _ **"**_ _ **Don't worry i didn't get on my first try either, but after a while you'll get it" He says to me.**_

 _ **"**_ _ **Yeah you're right i just have to keep trying." i say to him**_

 _ **"**_ _ **Well, it looks like you can handle this on your own I'll be over there catching fish, so keep on practicing ok?" He says to me .**_

 _ **"**_ _ **Ok I'll keep trying." As i say that he walks over to the other side of the deck. After 20 minutes of failing to catch a fish i decide this is the last time I'm going to try or I'm giving up. As soon as i say that i see a black looking fish in the water i decide this is the fish i am going to fish i am going to catch, so i get into my stance and i close my eyes and i become one with the water. Once i open my eyes i can see the coming out of the water. I look at the fish and the longer i look at the fish the less it looks like a fish. I start to stare at it and a red light appears out out of it with symbols starting to form on it. I get scared and the water buble it was in breaks apart and he drops to the ground. After a second i pick it up and take it to under the deck and place him on a table under the deck. As i do that it wakes up and it goes around the room almost as if its lost.**_

 _ **"**_ _ **Um… Who or what are you" as i say that it moves close to my face, faster that i have to blink.**_

 _ **"**_ _ **That's something i should be asking you. " He says in a sinister way**_

 _ **"**_ _ **Um... Are you a spirit" I ask it.**_

 _ **"**_ _ **Hahaha" He says as he backs away a little bit. "After tens of thousands of years in this world the day has finally come when a mortal has referred to me as a loley spirit." He says to himself. "No mortal i am Vaatu the spirit of darkness at least that's what Raava the spirit of peace and light calls me, but i like to call myself the spirit of balance because there always as to be a little bit of darkness in the world to keep the world from being out of balance." He says to me "now mortal where am i?" He says as he forms a blade out of his tail and places it under my throat.**_

 _ **To be continued, if people like this.**_


	2. Chapter 2

Vaatu has his sharp razor tail against my neck. I can feel my life flash before my eyes. It's the second time that I've feared for my life. The first time was back when the northern water tribe soldiers killed my father in cold blood right in front of me. Afterward, they told me they murdered my father just because it was fun. What I sensed from those soldiers was total darkness and disregard for human life. As I looked at Vaatu I could sense the same darkness radiating from him. At that moment I realized that all my fear was replaced by anger. It was as if a light was radiating light from my red eyes. I stared at him and spoke.

"Why do you hate us so much? " I ask him.

He seems shocked and amused at my question all at the same time and after a moment to think he slowly lets down his razor tail of his from my neck. "Hm…and here I thought I was asking questions." He says with a little chuckle. "I think I'm starting to like you kid." As he says that I start to smile a little. When I do this, he swipes his tail across my face and cuts a piece of my brown hair off. "I may like you, but always know your place mortal! Do I make myself clear?" As he says this I start to nod my head nervously. "Good," He says." Now to your question, no I don't hate your kind, I just don't like being trapped in a tree for 10,000 years for trying to keep the balance of things" He says. " In my eyes, the Avatar and Raava are the ones making the world unbalanced, so if that makes me evil, then so be it." As he says this he looks at me. " From the look on your face, it looks like you hate the Avatar just as much as me." He says to me. "What is it she did to you, mortal?" He asked me.

"She allowed the northern water tribe to invade our land and their soldiers killed my father," I said. "But when I went to the chief of our village and he told me there was nothing he could do to them since the Avatar allowed them on our land. Because of the Avatar my father had to die." As I say this Vaatu goes to the other side of the room and starts to think. After a second he comes back.

"Well, it looks like we have common enemy, so I have a proposition for you, if you help me get to the southern water tribe and into the Southern spirit portal, I will give you the power to get revenge on the men that killed your father and to kill the avatar and become the new avatar. Do we have a deal?" As he says this he sticks out his tail. After a moment to about think about It I shake his tail. "We have a deal," I say to him.

"Very good, now that we have an alliance where am I?"

"You are in a boat off the coast of the southern water tribe."

"Hm… Well, then we have t-" as he says that I hear a sound of someone come down to the bottom deck and I motion Vaatu to hid in one of the barrels as the sound start to get louder I start to hear Sins voice.

"Hey, Neki you down here?"

"Yes, sorry I was just taking a break because I couldn't catch a fish," I say with a nervous laugh.

"I understand just make sure to come back up when you're ready."

"Yeah, I will be right up as soon as possible."

"Oh, pops told me to tell you that it's almost dark, so we will be heading back soon and he wanted to know if you wanted to stay at our place for dinner?"

"I appreciate the offer, but I have other plans that I have to attend to," I say as I quickly look at the barrel that Vaatu is in.

"Well, that's a shame, I'll tell pops" as he says that he starts to head up to the top deck. Vaatu comes out of the barrel that he was hiding in and starts to speak.

"So, What's the plan on getting me out of here without getting caught?"

"I have no idea, just wait here until I figure something out" I walk up to the top deck where Lu and his children are. It looks like they have been waiting for me. "Um... is something wrong?" I ask them with a confused look on my face.

"I have something to give you" after he says this he pulls out 200 yuan out of his pocket. "Even though you didn't catch any fish today my son has decided to give you his earning for the fish that he caught. Because he felt that you could use the money more. "He puts his hand out in front of me. After a second to think I open my mouth.

"No...I couldn't take your money." as I say this Sin jumps in.

"No, you do deserve it. I watched you work so hard to catch a fish if you don't take this money I will have to force you."As Sin says this I can sense the sincerity coming from him.

"Ok, I will take not for myself, but for you.." I say as I grab the two hundred yuan of Lu's hand. "I promise I will try twice as hard to tomorrow Sin."

"You better" Sin says to me.

"Oh, and another thing can you take Sin's barrel down to the bottom deck?" Lu asks me.

"Oh right, I will do it right now." As I as say this I rush to the barrel and take down to the bottom deck. While I start carrying the barrel I start to think to me myself. "How could I be stupid! I can have Vaatu hid in one of these barrels" I say to myself as I put the barrel next to the rest "Hey, Vaatu you can come out now." as I say this Vaatu comes out of one of the barrels.

"Do you have a plan mortal?" He says to me.

"You really need to stop calling me that." Vaatu starts to grow a little red as if he is angry at me.

"Very well, but I am only doing this because we have an equal understanding."

"Whatever you say, but I think I know how I can sneak you out of here without anyone noticing."

"Hm...Well, spit it out then."

"Oh, right the plan is this. You hid in one of these barrels and I ask Lu if I can borrow one of the barrels in order to practice." as I say this I wait to see if Vaatu likes my plan.

"Not a bad a idea for a mortal."

"Hey! You know what, never mind, let's just get on with the plan."

"Fine by me as long as I get to the southern spirit portal."

"Don't you mean we?"

"Yeah, we."

"Alright then you hid in one of these barrels and I'll go talk to Lu."

"Alright," Vaatu says as he heads to one of the barrels. I walk up to the top deck where I see Lu steering the boat back to the dock. I slowly walk up to him and see him look at the blue night sky.

"It's a beautiful night is not?" Lu says to me.

"Yeah guess it."

"You know Neki I have been sailing these seas since I was twenty years old and I never get tired of looking at the stars, you know why?" I look at him.

"I have no idea why."

"Because with every night comes a new day, so Neki don't be upset at yourself because you didn't catch anything today because with every day comes a new obstacle to overcome. "

"Don't worry Lu I will try even harder tomorrow"

"You better or I might have to get a new fisherman," he says with a little laugh.

"Um… about that I was wondering if I could ask you a favor?"

"Sure what's on your mind?"

"I was wondering if I could borrow one of the barrels to practice."

"Sure, but make sure nothing happens to it."

"I promise I will bring it back safe and sound" I go back to the bottom deck to let Vaatu know what happen.

"Vaatu you can come out now!"

"So, did you get it done mortal?"

"I wish you would stop calling me that, but yes I did get it done, so just get in one of these barrels." when I say this Vaatu gets in one of the barrels while I put the lid on. "Make sure not to make any noise, ok Vaatu?" after a moment of silence "Um...Vaatu did you hear me?"

" You told me not to make any noise"

"I'm starting to rethink our alliance!" I take Vaatu to the top deck where I notice that we have reached the deck. I take Vaatu to my house as I open the door I see my mother sitting in the front of me at the kitchen table.

"Hello, Neki how was your first day at work?"

"Um… it was good."

"Well...did anything interesting happen?"

"Yeah, I...um caught a fish."

"Just one?"

"Yeah, but it was a big one, so I got paid a lot."

"What's in the barrel Neki?"

"Oh, this is just for training, so I catch more fish." when I say this she begins to smile.

"I know it's been hard you since your father died, but I am glad that you are beginning to have a normal life again."

"Yeah...I...I just wish I could have done something when those people killed him." My mother runs to give me a hug. Her arms wrap around tightly I can feel her tears begin to soak onto my shoulder she pulls away, she can clearly see the tears rolling down my face.

"I want you to know something Neki there was nothing you could have done to save your father." she wipes them from her face and mine.

"I know. mother and that's what makes me the angriest knowing that I was powerless to stop them." I look at my hand and I get ferrous. "Even now I am powerless to stop them." I pull out the Yuan I was given and given and give to my mother.

"What's this for?" she says.

"It's for you."

"But why you giving this to me?"

"Where I am going I don't need."

"I don't understand where are you going?"

"I can't tell you." she drops the Yuan and grabs my shoulders, then begins to cry.

"Please promise me you won't do anything stupid."

"If I told you that then I would be telling you a lie" she looks at me with a face of shock and collapses to the ground, she begins to sob uncontrollably. I take the barrel to my room then I begin to pack my bags for my long journey into the spirit world. I let Vaatu out.

"Get in my bag."

"Who do yo-"

"Shut up and get in the bag!" Vaatu gets into my bag. I walk back to the door and pass by to see my mother still on the ground sobbing. I open the door and then turn back towards my mother.

"I promise I will be back mother with enough power to protect you from anyone that tries to hurt you." She begins to stop sobbing and I close the door.

To be continued.


	3. Chapter 3

I move through the southern water tribe trying to get to the southern portal. After days of running I can feel my stomach start to turn from not eating for days, and my mind starts to wonder. Thoughts go through my mind, I start to think if it was a good idea to go on this journey with Vaatu. After a lot of time passes, I start seeing a bright light in the distance and I try to run to it, but after all these days my legs have grown tired and my body collapses. I clench my fist and I begin pounding my fist into the snow out of frustration.

"Damn it! When I'm so close to the finish and this happens." Tears start to run down my face, Vaatu manifested right in front of me.

"Why have stopped mortal?" He looks at me with confusion.

"I'm exhausted, I've been walking for days non-stop, so why don't you figure it out." He pauses for a second and starts to float away, I reach out my hand, after all I have went through to go on this journey and he can just leave me? I can't let leave me not after all we have gone through. I shout out to him.

"Wait, where are you going!" He turns back.

"I have no need for the weak, so if you can't continue then this is where we part our ways." He said scathingly. My eyes start tearing up, I can't believe I went all this way just to be thrown away like trash. No, I can not give up now not after I left everything behind in order to go on this journey, so I can not give up now. I turn myself over onto my stomach, I use what little strength I have to crawl toward Vaatu.

"Wait! I'm coming too! You made a deal with me to make me more powerful, did you not?" Vaatu turns to look at me for a second, he sees a man standing even though his body is weak from exhaustion, he stand out of pure unwavering conviction to achieve his goal. He turns back.

"Very well mortal."

After a few more hours of crawling, we make it to the portal, I finally have enough strength to stand up, as I do so I see beautiful waves of blue and white lights radiating from the portal. This is the first time I have ever seen a spirit portal up close. It looks so beautiful and serene, but energetic in the way the waves of light move.

"It's beautiful isn't Vaatu?"

"You could say that, but enough looking: let's go."

"Where are we going anyway Vaatu?"

"We need to find Koh the face stealer."

"Why do we have to find him?"

"He has information we need in order to make you as powerful as the Avatar."

"What kind of information?''

"You'll see when we get there. A piece of advice: remember when we get there To never show any emotion, lest he make your face a part of his collection."

Shivers run down my back and I slowly walk into the portal. I can feel my feet being lifted into the air, and my body leaving the physical world and becoming one with the spiritual energy of the portal. I can feel my body starting to disappear, then reforming into the spirit world. After a moment of my being amazed by what just happened to me. I quickly fall to the ground, hitting it so hard it feels almost as if I broke something.

"Damn it, aw." Vaatu emerges from the portal, he takes a quick look around in order to survey the area, he looks like he is searching for something.

"Hm...it looks like we are about a two hours journey from Koh's tree, do you think you can still walk?" He says with a cold voice, almost as if he has sympathy for me in his voice.

"If I said no you would just leave me here, so I don't have much of a choice, but to say yes." I stand up, try to shake the pain from my legs, but it still hurts like a thousand pins piercing my leg. I have to keep walking: I can't let Vaatu see me lagging behind or he will throw me away like I meant nothing to him at all. To him I am only a tool he can use up and cast aside. We walk for two hours as we move closer toward Koh's home the air around us begins to form into a thick mist. The mist gets so thick that I am barely able to see anything at all but the crimson red coming from Vaatu's chest. The mist starts to clear up a little.

"We are almost there." as he says this we reach the hill and we begin to walk up, after a few minutes we finally make it out of the mist. In front of us stands a giant tree with a hole in it arched in such a way it almost seems like a giant doorway. I begin to move toward the tree, but Vaatu stands in front of me blocking my path.

"Remember Koh is not our friend, he will steal your face if you show any emotion at all."

"I understand."

"Good."

I hesitate for a moment to follow Vaatu into the tree, my stomach starts to ache, I can feel the fear run through my body. After a quick thought of my mother, my body begins to move like it has a mind of its own. The closer we get the more scared I become, but I can not let Koh see that. We enter Koh's home and Vaatu calls out his name.

"Koh, where are you!" Vaatu's voice echoes. After a moment he gets a response. Koh makes his way down to where we are. He seems to have an insect body, with so many legs strapped to the side. It takes him a moment to get to where we are. hIs face changes every few seconds that he stands in front of us, it almost seems random, but purposeful all at the same time.

"It's nice to meet again Vaatu, it's been a long time since I've seen you. Let's see ten thousand years to be exact." Koh looks behind Vaatu. "It seems you brought someone with you this time." I try to conceal my expression from him. But the more I try. The more of the faces see I start to feel unpleasant by his presence. It feels like a thousand dead face staring deep inside of me. It makes me feel sorry for all those faces he stole.

"He is just a boy"

"What is a boy doing with you?" He says seeming to not believe a word of what Vaatu says.

"It does not concern you, Koh. All I need is information." as he says this Koh turns back to look at Vaatu. He seems intrigued by what Vaatu just said.

"What type of information could the spirit of darkness need from me?" He turns his head seeming intrigued by what Vaatu's answer will be.

"I need information on the whereabouts of the water, fire, air, earth lion turtles." Koh turns his head back in confusion as if he is surprised by Vaatu's question.

"Why would you need that type of information?" After a moment Koh looks at me, then titles his head at Vaatu.

"Now I get it you wish to become like Rava and fuse your essence with this boy and make him as powerful as the Avatar."

"Do you have the information or not Koh! Don't play games with me."

"I would never think of playing games with you." He smiled. "After the first avatar put all the spirits in the spirit world, the Avatar made a deal with the lion turtles for them to hide in each nation that held their respective element. In case an imbalance of the elements ever existed they would spread their power to those with no elements, and restore the balance." I look at and speak.

"Why hasn't the air lion turtle done that yet then, Koh?" Koh looks at me as though he is surprised I can speak.

"Don't worry boy the time is coming soon and one day there will be plenty of air nomads again." I look at him not knowing whether or not I should believe him or not. He seems, so unpredictable. Vaatu interrupts.

"Just tell me this Koh: is there a way to find them?" Koh looks at him for a second not know whether he should answer or not. After a second Koh seems content and he tells us, after that me and Vaatu leave, headed towards the lion turtles.

To be continued.


	4. Chapter 4

Four years later,

I can't believe that it has been four years since Vaatu and I went looking for the lion turtles. The first lion turtle we went to was fire, then we went to air, after that we went to water. Now we are headed to the last one, which is earth. After this we will link our souls as one.

"Vaatu how much further?" Instead of looking back he answers my question while still moving forward.

"We just have to go into this cave that leads deep under Ba Sing Se."

"It's convenient that the earth kingdom built their city under their own lion turtle." Vaatu stays quietly.

"You know it's been a long journey to get here Vaatu."

"It sure has mortal." His tone of voice has changed over the four years we have traveled here, he almost seems to have changed until he calls me a mortal again. Maybe one day he will call me by my first name, but that will be a long time before that happens, I sigh.

"You still going to call me that, even after everything we have been through?" I hoult my movement, as I notice Vaatu stops in front of me.I stop, while turning to the side of him, I see a dark cave, the cave seems absent of light, .

"We're here." I walk to the side of him to see what his movement is, but all he does it stare into the empty cave.

"So, what do we do from here?" He keeps staring into the cave, it almost seems like he is waiting for something to happen.

"You should use your fire bending to light the cave." I walk in front of him. I place my hand in front of me. I start to feel the heat from my body form into a flame. The more I concentrate the bigger the flame gets. The flame is as full as a large flower.

"You know it's amazing how I can create fire without burning my hand."

"I guess it would be to you." He says uninterested in what I am saying. We walk for hours until he stop for a break. I pull out food that I collect from our travels. Vaatu paces back and forth from the shallow walls of the cave.

"We have come a long way Vaatu, four years ago you would have left me if I even took one break. I guess that shows that you're starting to care about me." I laugh, but Vaatu continues pacing back and forth.

"What's the matter, Vaatu?" He stops and turns to me.

"I am thinking about the Avatar, and what we are going to do to her when we see her." I put down my food and decide to pack my food. I rekindle the flame in my hand, while I walk past Vaatu.

"Then let's go." I say as we continue until we reach a long hallway. We stop for a second to examine the walls, while looking for traps.

"What's a hallway doing down here? "

"Don't know, but watch your step." We continue down the hall. The further in we get the more paintings we see. They look like drawings from a world when there were lots of lion turtles roaming the world. Then we get to a part of the paintings that show a man that can bend four elements. He looks to be fighting Vaatu, while another painting shows him locking Vaatu in a tree. I look to Vaatu.

"Who drew these?" I say to Vaatu

"I don't know, and don't care. Lets just keep going." We start to move further into the halls, until we reach a door. I try to open the door, but the door will not budge. The door has symbols on it that I have never seen. "What is this, Vaatu?" Vaatu looks the symbols.

"It looks to be the language from the people of the lion turtles, it says only one with master of all four elements may pass.." I look toward my Vaatu.

"So only Korra can open the door?" Vaatu stays quiet. "So all of this way for nothing?" I run towards the door. I start to bang on it out of frustration.

To be continued


End file.
